Sleep Drinks – The best drinks for a good night’s sleep

Warm milk with honey or the classic bedtime tea – a nightcap in the evening can have a relaxing effect and help you get ready for a restful sleep. Here, we'll show you which drinks are particularly suitable as a bedtime drink that not only taste good but also actually promote better sleep.

Table of contents

1. Our evening diet
2. The most important nutrients for a good night's sleep
3. The best Sleep Drink Recipes
4. Conclusion

Many people consider the famous hot milk with honey, a glass of red wine, or a warm bedtime tea to be a pleasant sleep aid. And a nightcap in the evening can actually help you relax before bed and fall asleep more easily. We'll show you which drinks can improve sleep right away!

1. Our diet in the evening

One healthy eating A balanced supply of nutrients can have a positive effect on our sleep and the way we fall asleep. Especially during the night, our body needs many nutrients to support the numerous regeneration processes and to fill the energy stores in our cells. With a targeted intake of certain Vitamins, Minerals, Amino acids or Hormones Before going to bed, we can provide our body with important nutrients at exactly the right time and thereby support not only the quality of sleep but also the process of falling asleep in a natural way.

Healthy sleep drinks are, at best, easy to digest, quick to prepare and incredibly tasty – making them ideal for winding down after a busy day and getting a restful sleep.

2. The most important nutrients for good sleep

Certain nutrients can help relieve stress and tension and contribute significantly to good sleep. Particularly well-known for their sleep-promoting effects are the vitamins responsible for our sleep-wake rhythm. Sleep hormone melatonin, whose precursor L-tryptophan, the mineral magnesium as well as various vitamins and Plant extracts.

• The sleep hormone melatonin
  Melatonin is one of our body's hormones, which plays a key role in regulating our sleep-wake cycle and ensures that we feel tired and sleepy in the evening. Various studies show that supplementing with this sleep hormone actually helps us fall asleep faster. It may therefore be worthwhile to naturally increase your melatonin levels in the evening to support a healthy sleep rhythm and help you fall asleep more easily. You can find the best natural melatonin sources here. here.

• The amino acid L-tryptophan
  The essential amino acid (L-)tryptophan is a basic building block in the body's production of serotonin and its subsequent conversion into the sleep hormone melatonin, making it extremely important for a healthy sleep-wake cycle. Scientific studies have shown that the amino acid improves sleep and overall sleep quality, and that additional intake of L-tryptophan in the evening can shorten the time it takes to fall asleep. You can find out which foods have a particularly high L-tryptophan content in this Read the article.

• The mineral magnesium
  Among other things, magnesium supports the relaxation of muscles and body cells, reduces stress on the nervous system, and can help you rest better in the evening. Magnesium also contributes to normal production of the sleep hormone melatonin.The mineral can therefore support a healthy sleep-wake rhythm and have an overall positive effect on the quality and length of our sleep. You can find more information about the mineral magnesium in this article.

• Vitamins B, C, D
  Our sleep also benefits from an optimal vitamin supply. Scientific studies show that the B vitamin group, as well as vitamins C and D, in particular, can promote restful sleep by ensuring healthy bodily function in various ways and promoting L-tryptophan, serotonin, and melatonin synthesis at several points. You can find a detailed overview of which vitamins are found in which foods here. here read more.

• Herbal substances and essential oils such as lavender, lemon balm, ashwagandha
  In addition to the classic nutrients, plant substances in foods can also have a relaxing and sleep-promoting effect. Ayurvedic Ashwaghanda root or the herbs lavender, chamomile, and lemon balm are considered particularly effective and natural aids for reducing stress, promoting relaxation, and contributing to a good night's sleep. Brewed as a tea, they are easy to consume before bedtime and are therefore popular ingredients in special sleep teas. You can find out more about Ashwagandha (Indian ginseng), lavender or lemon balm.

3. The best Sleep Drink Recipes

The classic: hot milk with honey

The sweet hot drink warms us from the inside and contains valuable nutrients like tryptophan and calcium, which reach the brain even faster thanks to the addition of honey. This way, natural tiredness in the evening is doubly supported by the pleasantly warming feeling and the positive effect on melatonin production. Milk and honey also have antibacterial properties and promote digestion. The sweet honey can also have a calming effect on the respiratory tract, allowing us to breathe freely and fall asleep relaxed.

📝 Recipe: Hot milk with honey

Ingredients: 200ml milk, preferably untreated | 1-2 tsp honey | Optional: cinnamon, vanilla, or other spices

Preparation: To preserve all the nutrients, the milk should not be overheated. Heat a cup of milk to about 40 degrees Celsius and slowly stir in 1-2 teaspoons of honey.

Intake: About 1-2 hours before bedtime.

The trendy drink: Moon Milk

The trendy Moon Milk is a special version of hot milk with honey. This serves as the base of the trendy drink and is mixed with certain herbs, roots, and spices from traditional Indian Ayurveda. They contain certain plant substances, so-called adaptogens, which have anti-inflammatory properties. stress, restlessness and tension on a physical and mental level. This enhances the effect of the milk and honey base, allowing us to optimally prepare for relaxation and sleep. Moon Milk consists of the basic ingredients milk and honey, which are then refined with extracts of ashwagandha, turmeric, reishi, maca, or ginseng, and mixed with vanilla, nutmeg, or cinnamon, depending on taste.

📝 Recipe: Spicy Moon Milk

Ingredients: 200 ml milk | 1 tsp honey | 1 tsp ashwagandha powder | 1 pinch turmeric | 1 pinch cinnamon | ½ vanilla pod

Preparation: Heat a cup of milk to about 40 degrees Celsius and slowly stir in the honey, Ashwaghanda powder and your desired ingredients.

Time of intake: About 30 to 60 minutes before bedtime.

Vitamin-rich & refreshing: cherry juice and cranberry juice

Cherries, especially sour cherries and cranberries have a high Melatonin content and L-tryptophan. The fruits thus support our sleep rhythm and promote natural tiredness in the evening. They also provide other valuable vitamins and nutrients that also contribute to good sleep and healthy body function. A glass of unsweetened cherry or cranberry juice before bedtime can be a fruity Sleep Drink to help you fall asleep and sleep through the night.

📝 Recipe: Fruity Sleep Juice

Ingredients: 100 ml unsweetened cherry juice | 50 ml unsweetened cranberry juice | 50 ml banana juice

Preparation: Pour the banana juice into a glass and then mix in the chilled cherry and cranberry juice.

Time of intake: About 1 hour before going to bed.

Calming: Sleep tea with chamomile, lavender or lemon balm

The herbal ingredients in lavender, lemon balm, or chamomile can relieve stress, calm the nervous system, and promote physical and mental relaxation. A combination of different herbs can then be particularly effective in helping you prepare for sleep. You can therefore find various sleep tea blends on the market, which usually consist of lavender, lemon balm, chamomile, or valerian, along with numerous other tea herbs such as fennel, licorice root, Passionflower, sage or mint.

📝 Recipe: Relaxing sleep tea

Ingredients: Lemon balm leaves | Lavender blossom | Chamomile blossom | Valerian root | Liquorice root

Preparation: Mix all the herbs together as desired, pour about 200 ml of boiling water over your tea mixture and let the tea steep for at least 5-10 minutes.

Time of intake: Approximately 1-2 hours before going to bed.

4. Conclusion

• Taking certain nutrients before going to bed can help you relax and positively influence your ability to fall asleep as well as the quality and duration of your sleep.

• The sleep hormone melatonin, the amino acid L-tryptophan, vitamins B, C and D as well as herbal ingredients in lavender, ashwagandha and lemon balm have particularly positive effects.

• Our delicious sleep drinks provide valuable nutrients before bedtime that can support falling asleep and staying asleep.

Best wishes & enjoy your meal!